


No One Has To Know

by turntechGodhead



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Silly Boys, how do people even tag stuff idek, idk man
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-01
Updated: 2012-07-01
Packaged: 2017-11-08 22:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/448250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turntechGodhead/pseuds/turntechGodhead
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dave was…off since he’d seen the alternate teenage version of his bro in person. For the most part he seemed okay, and Karkat couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was that was off about him, but there was something.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No One Has To Know

Dave pulled it back together after the initial shock. At least, he pulled it back together as best he could. Karkat figured it must have been a pretty decent nervous breakdown if still hadn't recovered entirely.

 

Dave was…off since he'd seen the alternate teenage version of his bro in person. For the most part he seemed okay, and Karkat couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that was off about him, but there was _something._

__

He was certainly spacier now, Karkat noticed. They were on a giant fucking meteor and Dave still managed to somehow bump into him or trample over his feet on a daily basis. Three days in a row now, Dave had ambled right into him without noticing.

 

"Fuck! Watch where you're going, Strider!"

 

Dave looked at him as if just now noticing he was there, "My bad, dude."

 

"This is the second time in three days you've trampled my goddamn feet. If you're trying to hobble me, can you at least have the fucking decency to get it over with in one fell swoop?"

 

"I _said_ my bad. I didn't know your dainty little princess feet were so sensitive."

 

Karkat narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists, "Shut up before I force my dainty princess foot so far up your waste chute my shoe gets caught in your throat."

 

Dave shoved his hands in the pockets of his god pajamas and turned away, "Whatever," he said.

 

It was so _irritating_ , the way Dave brushed off any opening for a pointless argument with Karkat these days. Not that Karkat particularly enjoyed them, he _didn't_. Dave was infuriating, with his word-twisting and his pathetic irony bullshit. But it was also one of the few forms of entertainment Karkat had on the meteor. He had movies, of course, but variation was a life necessity.

 

Karkat followed after Dave. "Hey," he called, "What is your problem?"

 

Dave glanced over his shoulder, "What problem?"

 

"Whatever's turned you into an annoyingly reticent fuck lately."

 

Dave tutted and kept walking. Karkat followed.

 

"Yo, Kakarot, can't you tell when you're not wanted? Take a hint."

 

"What did you just call me??"

 

"I annoy you when I'm quiet and I annoy you when I talk to you. There's just no winning with you, man."

 

"It's just—unnatural." Karkat sped up a little and tugged his cape back sharply. Dave yanked it away from him and whirled around to glare. "You haven't even been mumbling to yourself like an idiot, you're messing with the equilibrium of this shithole."

 

"Okay, well, too bad, suck it up. Can you leave me alone now? I'm really busy. I have to go stare at a wall or something, bye."

 

Stubborn prick. Karkat kept following him.

 

"You're still fucked up over what happened the other day, aren't you? With your lusus-brother person."

 

Dave stopped again and looked back at Karkat. His face looked impassive except for the flexing in his jaw from his teeth clenching and unclenching. He stared at him for longer than necessary and Karkat stared back, eyebrows raised expectantly.

 

"Shut up," Dave said finally. "Bother someone else."

 

"Bingo."

 

"Vantas."

 

"It's not like it's a big fucking deal if you're hurting over it, dumbass. That's to be expected when something like—"

 

Dave held up a hand and cut him short, "No thanks, not interested in your moirail quadrant bullshit, dude."

 

Karkat's face heated up and he gaped up at him furiously, " _Excuse me_? Fuck you! That wasn't a pale advance! You're so fucking vain—I _have_ a moirail!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Fuck me for trying to give you some _friendly_ advice."

 

"That would imply that we're _friends_."

 

"…Look, I'm just concerned. You and your sister are our 'leaders' now and if you're off, the rest of us are off. I'm looking out for everyone's well-being here, not just yours."

 

Karkat saw the faint outline of an eyeroll behind Dave's shades. "Okay, well, as leader I'm telling you to fuck off and mind your own business."

 

"I know it's not my business, but I really think you could benefit from talking to someone. Why not Lalonde? Or," he looked away reluctantly, "Terezi."

 

"That is the last fucking thing I need, dude," Dave pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "And, whatever, I don't have anything to talk about."

 

Karkat rolled his eyes, "You saw your lusus for the first time since he died, that's an understandably traumatic situation, get over yourself."

 

" _That_ ," Dave flung his arm back, as if his older brother was behind him somewhere, "was not _Bro_. I didn't see _Bro_. He was some—some alternate version of him, whatever. It just caught me off-guard, it didn't fucking _traumatize_ me."

 

Dave's face was forcibly calm, but his words wavered uncertainly from their usual careless monotone. Karkat swallowed back a small, inappropriate wave of pity and frowned up at him.

 

"You sound affected by it."

 

"I'm _not_ affected!" he snapped. "It wasn't Bro. It wasn't my Bro. And even if it was—it happened a long time ago already, I didn't cry about it then and I'm not gonna start crying about it like a pussy now."

 

"Alright, man." Karkat held his hands up peaceably. He felt maybe a little guilty, watching Dave hastily trying to keep hold of his cool.

 

"I don't give a shit. Seriously, stop fucking looking at me like that. I don't think he even looked at me, that _wasn't_ my Bro. _Stop_ looking at me like that."

 

Karkat screwed up his eyebrows, trying to rectify whatever look he was giving him, "I don't know how I'm looking at you!"

 

"Like you feel bad for me. I don't need your pity, man." He backpedaled, shaking his head before Karkat could even open his mouth. "I mean the human kind of pity, not your romantic troll pity."

 

"Okay," Karkat shifted his weight between both his feet awkwardly, "I wasn't trying to condescend, Strider. If that's what you mean."

 

Dave sighed, slipping his hands under the lenses of his shades to rub his eyes tiredly, "I just don't want to fucking talk about this."

 

Karkat reached out uncertainly and patted Dave's arm. Dave stared at him.

 

"What the fuck was that?"

 

"You're an annoying tool, Dave. But. Even if you platonically hate me, I—consider you my friend. I guess."

 

Dave snorted, "You are so unbelievably stupid."

 

Karkat shoved him hard in the chest, "Fuck you! That was a genuine sentiment, shitstain! I wouldn't have crapped on you like that."

 

Dave laughed and stumbled back a little, then reached out for Karkat's wrist and pulled him in closer. He kept his fingers wrapped around his wrist and leaned down to make up for the small height difference between them. Karkat reeled for a second, then froze when Dave pressed his lips to his cheek.

 

He cupped the other side of Karkat's face with his free hand and pulled away after a second, smirking slightly at his startled face.

 

Karkat blinked. "What the fuck was _that_?"

 

"Genuine sentiment." Dave shrugged. "Thanks for being concerned or whatever, Vantas. You're a pretty good friend." He adjusted his shades and brushed a hand through his hair. "Anyway, tell anyone about this conversation and I'll strangle you with my cape, got it?"

 

Karkat kept staring at him. "Isn't kissing a romantic gesture in human culture?"

 

Dave rolled his eyes, "Depends on the context. I'm gonna go, dude, see you later."

 

"Wait!" Karkat watched him step onto the transportalizer and disappear. "The context isn't helping me determine jack shit!"

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a few months since I've written any fanfiction, but I'm feeling davekat wayyyy too much lately not to write them. :)
> 
> Oh, and the formatting is a little weird...sorry...I promise I'll have my shit together if I ever post again.


End file.
